The #randworldtour continues on to Virginia

After spending a couple weeks with my parents in Jersey, we spent a week with my younger sister in Virginia. Rand had great fun playing with his cousin Aiden and LOVED his dog Gravy. 

We weren't there for long but we got to do a lot of exploring around the city of Roanoke. I think my favorite was the park that had a train theme playground and an awesome water works area. 

 A fun indoor activity for a rainy day with the indoor jump park. Rand and Aiden were running around like maniacs and had the best time.

World War II Veterans Memorial Park

While we are visiting my parents, its been fun taking Rand to the parks I grew up playing all. This one park was reconstructed about 10 years ago. The centerpiece of the park is a monument to the Veterans of the Second World War consisting of a bronze statue of a WW2 infantryman, affectionately referred to as the “Grunt,” and seven granite walls dedicated to each branch of the service.

Around the park is a maze of walking trails and a playground with pieces resembling WW2 military equipment.  You can also find some vehicles and equipment from the war along the pathways.

Seaside Beach

I grew up at the Jersey shore and since we lived in Germany, I have have greatly missed the ocean. One of the first evenings we arrived in Jersey, my parents took us out to Seaside to show Rand the ocean. At first, Rand wasn't a fan of the sand but LOVES the water so he gave in to the sand and now loves it too!

We all had to chase after Rand who kept running into the water. 

Jersey Mike's, beach trip and ice cream... Best Day Ever!

Today we had fun outing with my Dad and Pop-pop. We went out to Point Pleasant to have lunch at Jerset Mike's sub (#13, Mike's way) and ran up and down the shore nearby.

After collecting shells and chasing waves, we headed over to Hoffman's to get some homemade ice cream. Rand loved seeing all the flavors and picked (and devoured) a big bowl of chocolate ice cream.

Flight to America

The day I have been dreading has arrived... our flight home to America. My inner child was throwing a tantrum in the terminal because I did not want to leave Germany. The past 4 years in Europe have been amazing and I did not want it to end. We got to see and experience so much and I am going to miss it all. 

We checked in early at the Ramsetin PAX terminal and checked A LOT of bags. We had some time to kill before our flight so walked over to the KMCC (Kaiserslautern Military Community Center), a HUGE AAFES mall to kill some time. We grabbed some lunch and did some shopping before heading back to the terminal. On the 2nd floor of the terminal is a Family Lounge room for kids 5 and under. They have a large room full of toys and seating along with a restroom, a nursery with cribs and a nursing room. The family lounge also contains a small kitchen with a fridge, microwave, sink and bottle warmer.

Besides having to wait for HOURS to board our flight, it went pretty well. We flew a huge double-deck aircraft that was a Patriot Express flight.  Rand even napped for a few hours! We arrived late at night at BWI and stayed at a nearby hotel. Rob had to catch a flight early the next morning but Rand and I stayed at the hotel to wait for my family to pick us up.

Our first morning in the USA, Rand learned a new word "air conditioner." While I was getting ready for the day, I heard Rand laughing hysterically. So of course I grab my camera and peak around the corner to find him laughing at the air conditioner. 

Welcome to America Rand!

Camden Aquarium

Today we took a drive out to visit the Camden Aquarium... oh and that is my mom with Rand, not me ;) I know, we look like twins. 

 I suggest going right when they open. It got very packed within an hour after we arrived. I also recommend buying your tickets ahead of time online. When we arrived we made a B line to the kids area. Rand had the floor to himself before we backtracked and Parking was $10 and tickets are around $27 for adults and kids ages 2-12 are $20. 

On the top floor is a great little interactive kids section. 

Address:

1 Riverside Dr 

Camden, NJ 08103

New Jersey

I just got home from a last minute trip to the States for my Nana's funeral. She has been battling alzheimer's for a long time now and last year moved into a home to get more help and assistance with everyday things. It was a bittersweet trip but I am grateful I got to see my family and celebrate the wonderful life my Nana had.

My parents live close to the beach so we took advantage of the beautiful weather and went to the shore a few times. At first, Rand did not like the sand but soon fell in love and I am excited to go back next summer to jump the waves with him.

 Rand had such a good time visiting my family!

 Here are some more of my favorite pics during our time in NJ